“Explosive! A knife-edged thriller that explores the true meaning of family, including love, loyalty, and lies.” —Lisa Gardner, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author

“They found the bodies on a Tuesday.” So begins Every Last Fear, a twisty and breathtaking novel from Alex Finlay that traces the fate of the Pine family, a thriller that will both leave you on the edge of your seat and move you to tears.

After a late night of partying, NYU student Matt Pine returns to his dorm room to devastating news: nearly his entire family—his mom, his dad, his little brother and sister—have been found dead from an apparent gas leak while vacationing in Mexico. The local police claim it was an accident, but the FBI and State Department seem far less certain—and they won’t tell Matt why.

The tragedy makes headlines everywhere because this isn’t the first time the Pine family has been thrust into the media spotlight. Matt’s older brother, Danny—currently serving a life sentence for the murder of his teenage girlfriend Charlotte—was the subject of a viral true crime documentary suggesting that Danny was wrongfully convicted. Though the country has rallied behind Danny, Matt holds a secret about his brother that he’s never told anyone: the night Charlotte was killed Matt saw something that makes him believe his brother is guilty of the crime.

When Matt returns to his small hometown to bury his parents and siblings, he’s faced with a hostile community that was villainized by the documentary, a frenzied media, and memories he’d hoped to leave behind forever. Now, as the deaths in Mexico appear increasingly suspicious and connected to Danny’s case, Matt must unearth the truth behind the crime that sent his brother to prison—putting his own life in peril—and forcing him to confront his every last fear.

Told through multiple points-of-view and alternating between past and present, Alex Finlay’s Every Last Fear is not only a page-turning thriller, it’s also a poignant story about a family managing heartbreak and tragedy, and living through a fame they never wanted.

Book Type:

Thriller

Review: Every Last Fear

A man seeks the truth behind his family’s suspicious deaths in Alex Finlay’s superb debut, EVERY LAST FEAR.

We meet NYU student Matt Pine, who learns his mother, father, brother and sister have all died from an apparent gas leak while vacationing in Mexico. The deaths make headlines, especially because it’s not the first time the Pine family has been in the news. His older brother, Danny, was the subject of a viral documentary after being convicted for murder. And while the public largely believes in Danny’s innocence, Matt has kept a secret from that night long ago, convincing him that Danny belongs behind bars.

When Matt journeys to Mexico to claim the bodies of those he loved, however, things happen that raise serious suspicions. Before too long, the case begins to spiral into something appearing far more sinister, something… that may be connected to his brother, Danny.

To figure out what happened to his family, Matt must face the past and confront what really happened that night and what he really saw that convinced him of his brother’s guilt.

Finlay delivers a knockout thriller rife with twists and turns that kept me rapt. Unraveling in alternating past and present chapters, the story explores what happens to one family in the aftermath of tragedy and turmoil. It was wildly entertaining—the kind of book you fly through in a single sitting. Think big-time drama, secrets and layers aplenty, masterfully woven together to develop a propulsive thriller that’s emotional, compelling and full of surprises.

The perfect one-weekend mystery binge.